Notes on the Geography of Singapore: Singapore Modern: Photo 12

Apartments grew larger, too: in 1971, for example, 5-room apartments were introduced. New towns were established, in part on the 44 percent of the island's land that the government already owned--an inheritance from the British. Some of the new towns were large: Clementi, Bedok, and Woodlands, for example,each had housing for 200,000 people.

Rather than create Stalinesque monstrosities, the government began experimenting in the 1980s with pitched roofs, overhanging eaves, and tall windows. The results don't compare with the luxurious private housing in neighborhoods like Bukit Timah or Katon, but they're impressive. Here, starting with this picture, is a tour at Boon Lay, near the industrial center of Jurong, at the southwest corner of the island. There are comparable centers at Woodlands, Tampines, and Seletar.